New 802.11ac Infrastructure Supports Growing Student Base and Device Density Across 1,000 Acre Campus
Aruba Networks, an HP company (NYSE:HPQ), today announced that the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) is deploying
an Aruba Networks 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless LAN to provide
pervasive, secure connectivity for its 31,000 students and staff. UNC
Charlotte, which has seen a dramatic increase in the number of wireless
devices as well as heightened demand for new educational technologies in
the classroom, selected Aruba to replace its previous Meru network after
evaluating both Aruba and Cisco solutions.
“Like most universities, we have seen an explosion in Wi-Fi usage on
campus with the influx of #GenMobile,
who have a strong preference for mobility in terms of the devices they
use and their ‘anytime, anywhere’ approach to schoolwork and
entertainment. Today, our students carry an average of three devices on
campus and we expect that figure to climb as wearables grow in
popularity,” said Michael Carlin, CIO for UNC Charlotte.
Carlin noted that UNC Charlotte’s prior infrastructure could not keep up
with the growing demand for reliable, campus-wide wireless access, nor
the security expectations of their IT department. The University began a
Proof of Concept evaluation, deploying 802.11ac solutions from Aruba and
Cisco in two of the densest locations on campus. UNC Charlotte selected
Aruba for its superior ability to support higher data speeds and handle
greater device densities.
“Aruba’s solution was the fastest, both from a device association
perspective as well as overall general use. Quite simply, Aruba provided
better, broader, and speedier coverage,” said Carlin.
A key factor in UNC Charlotte’s decision was Aruba’s
320 series APs, the industry’s first 802.11ac
Wave 2 APs with dynamic multi-user multiple input/multiple output
(MU-MIMO) grouping. Previously, an AP stream could only transmit to one
device at a time and other clients had to wait their turn. With Aruba’s
MU-MIMO aware ClientMatch® technology, the 320 series APs can group Wave
2-capable devices on the same stream, significantly boosting network
capacity. The University is primarily deploying these Wave 2 APs, which
will allow them to best address the growing number of high-density areas
on campus. The 320 series is also the only Wave 2 AP in its class to
integrate a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beacon, which enables
organizations to provide indoor location and wayfinding, deliver
proximity-aware push notifications and offer other location-based mobile
engagement services.
Supporting the indoor and outdoor Aruba 802.11ac APs is Aruba’s ClearPass
Policy Manager, which the University is using for both its wired and
wireless infrastructure, and Aruba’s vendor-agnostic AirWave
network management, which provides UNC Charlotte with granular
visibility for its entire access infrastructure.
The new infrastructure is enabling the University’s faculty to
incorporate a wide range of educational technologies into their
instructional methods. Said Bret Wood, a professor with UNC Charlotte’s
Dept. of Kinesiology, “With my large courses, the wireless network
enables me to perform in-class proctored testing on Moodle. In my
smaller courses, all of the students use tablet technology for app-based
learning, shared communications, on-the-fly presentations, quizzing and
testing. A robust Wi-Fi network is critical to enabling these classroom
innovations and improving student learning.”
Looking ahead, the new infrastructure will allow UNC Charlotte to
convert 60,000 square feet of dedicated computer labs to flexible,
multi-functional teaching spaces that can transform from traditional,
lecture-based set-ups to more collaborative ‘flipped’ models. The
University also is examining the possibility of deploying wireless
access in its outdoor Jerry Richardson Stadium and indoor Dale F. Halton
Arena.
“With our new Aruba infrastructure, including the Wave 2 APs, there are
a host of exciting new possibilities for enhancing the overall on-campus
experience for our students, faculty and guests,” stated Carlin. “We are
already investigating ways to use the APs’ built-in beacons to deliver
location-relevant information and student services in the library and at
other sites on campus.”
About Aruba Networks, an HP company
Aruba Networks, an HP company, is a leading provider of next-generation
networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes worldwide. The company
delivers IT solutions that empower organizations to serve the latest
generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on cloud-based business apps
for every aspect of their work and personal lives.
To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com.
For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter
and Facebook,
and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products
visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.
© 2015 Aruba Networks, an HP company. Aruba Networks’ trademarks
include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized),
Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba Mobility Management System®,
People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®,
RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatch®, Virtual Intranet AccessTM,
ClearPass Access Management SystemsTM, Aruba
InstantTM, ArubaOSTM,
xSecTM, ServiceEdgeTM,
Aruba ClearPass Access Management SystemTM,
AirmeshTM, AirWaveTM,
Aruba CentralTM, and ARUBA@WORKTM.
All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Aruba Networks, an HP company
Pavel Radda, +1-408-419-0294
Director of Corporate Communications
pradda@arubanetworks.com
or
LSH Communications for Aruba Networks, an HP company
Lori Hultin, +1-818-879-4651
Principal
lhultin@arubanetworks.com